Problems of Demography and Declining Populations of Some Euroasiatic Brown Frogs

V. G. Ishchenko

Abstract


Skeletochronological examination included about 1200 individuals of 7 species of Euroasiatic brown frogs. The examined species are divided into two groups: short- and long-living species. The first group comprises Rana dalmatina, Rana amurensis, Rana chensinensis, and Rana asiatica. Rana arvalis, Rana macrocnemis, and Rana temporaria are referred to the second group. Life-span differences depend on habitation of the second-group species in mountains and in the North. Considerable time and space variations were noted in age structure of populations. It has been concluded that different strategies are required as well as the variegated demographic studies for conservation of species when their number is diminished depending on the features of their demographic characteristics.


Keywords


demography; population structure; amphibians; brown frogs; population ecology; life-span; longevity

Full Text:

PDF

References


Augert D. and Joly P. (1993), «Plasticity of age at maturity between two neighboring populations of the common frog (Rana temporaria L.)», Can. J. Zool., 71, 26 – 33.

Castanet J. (1986), «Bilan et perspectives offertes par la squelettochronologie dans les recherches en biologie des populations d’amphibiens et reptiles», I Congr. Nac. Herpetol. II Reun. Gen. S. C. I. H. Benicassim, 1 – 3 Nov. 1986, Progr. J. Res. S.L., S.A., p. 35.

Donnelly M. A., Guyer C., Juterbock J. E., and Alford R. A. (1994), «Techniques for marking amphibians», in: W. R. Heyer, M. A. Donnelly, R. W. McDiarmid, L. A. C. Hayek, M. S. Forster (eds.), Measuring and Monitoring Biological Diversity: Standard Methods for Amphibians. Smithsonian Inst. Press, Washington, pp. 277 – 284.

Ebenman B. and Persson L. (1988), «Introduction. Dynamics of size-structured populations: an overview», in: B. Ebenman, L. Persson (eds.), Size-Structured Populations, Springer Verlag, pp. 3 – 9.

Gibbons M. M. and McCarthy T. K. (1984), «Growth, maturation and survival of frogs Rana temporaria L»., Holarctic Ecology, 7, 419 – 427.

Hemelaar A. S. M. (1981), «Age determination of male Bufo bufo (Amphibia, Anura) from the Netherlands, based on year rings in phalanges», Amphibia-Reptilia, 1, 223 – 233.

Hemelaar A. S. M. (1986), Demographic Study on Bufo bufo L. (Anura, Amphibia) from Different Climates, by Means of Skeletochronology, Ph. D. Thesis, Nijmegen.

Halliday T. and Verrell P. (1988), «Body size and age in amphibians and reptiles», J. Herpetol., 22, 253 – 265.

Ishchenko V. G. (1989), «Population biology of amphibians», Sov. Sci. Rev. F. Physiol. Gen. Biol., 3, 119 – 155.

Ishchenko V. G. (1989a), «Ecological mechanisms for ensuring stability in a population of amphibians», Sov. Zh. Ékol., 20(2), 69 – 75 [in Russian].

Ishchenko V. G. and Ledentzov A. V. (1986), «Dynamics of age structure in a population of the moor frog Rana arvalis Nilss»., in: Roček Z. (ed.), Studies in Herpetology, Prague, pp. 503 – 506.

Krementz D. G., Sauer J. R., and Nichols J. D. (1990), «Model-based estimates of annual survival rates are preferable to observed maximum life-span statistics for use in comparative life-history studies», Oikos, 56(2), 203 – 208.

Kuhn J. (1994), «Lebensgeschichte und Demographie von Erdkrötenweibschen Bufo bufo L»., Zetschricht für Feldherpetologie, 1, 3 – 87.

Kuzmin S. L. (1994), «The problem of declining amphibian populations in the Commonwealth of Independent States and adjacent territories», Alytes, 12(3), 123–134.

Laude R. (1988), «Genetics and demography in biological conservation», Science, 241(4872), 1455 – 1460.

Ryser J. (1988), «Determination of growth and maturation in the common frog, Rana temporaria, by skeletochronology», J. Zool. (London), 216, 673 – 685.

Smirina E. M. (1994), «Age determination and longevity in amphibians», Gerontology, 40, 133 – 146.




DOI: https://doi.org/10.30906/1026-2296-1996-3-2-143-151

Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.


You can subscribe to the print or electronic version of the journal on the site of EastView Company. If you have any questions, please write to the email sales@ivis.ru